Science Teachers Association of New York State, Inc.

P.O. Box 2121, Liverpool, New York 13089-2121 (516) 783-5432 info@stanys.org www.stanys.org

STANYS 117th Conference, November 4-6, 2012

Governor's Commission on Education in New York State Testimony at SUNY College at Old Westbury

October 11, 2012 Brian Vorwald, President - Science Teachers Association of NY State, Inc.

I'd like to introduce myself and provide you with a brief overview of my background. I am Brian Vorwald, current President of the Science Teachers Association of NY State, Inc. (STANYS). Our organization represents P-16 science educators in all school settings, including informal education. I taught Earth Science at Sayville Public Schools on Long Island from 1975 until my retirement in 2010. I served as science department chairperson for grades 6 through 12 for the last 14 years of my Sayville career and in that capacity I was responsible for the comprehensive middle school and high school science programs, development of the 6-12 budget, and supervision of staff. I've taught courses in the Department of Earth and Space Science at Suffolk County Community College since 1988 and currently hold the rank of adjunct associate professor. As a consultant to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) I've worked in all phases of Earth Science exam construction, was on the writing teams that produced the Physical Setting/Earth Science Core Curriculum [1] and the performance test that is Part D of all Regents Earth Science Exams. I've had extensive experience delivering professional development to teachers as a NYSED and Eastern Suffolk BOCES Earth Science mentor in addition to presenting at STANYS sponsored workshops and conferences. It is from the perspective of a classroom teacher at the high school and collegiate levels, a science supervisor, a curriculum and assessment developer on the local and state levels, and a staff developer that I will discuss key issues facing science education in New York State. Many of my comments are based directly on the report of Eleventh New York State Education Summit that was held at Union Graduate College in Schenectady, NY on August 21-22, 2012. This meeting was sponsored by the New York State Science Education Consortium, which is a group of NY State science organizations and networks. The full Report of Recommendations which contains a list of all the constituent organizations is presented as an appendix to this document. In his January 2011 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama spoke about the importance of science education in the pursuit to keep our nation on pace with other industrialized countries. The president stated that America's young people must have the knowledge and skills to create and fill the jobs of a new age. However, there is a shortage of students who have the science skills necessary to fill the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) positions that businesses require in order to be competitive. Ken White, manager of Brookhaven National Lab’s Office of Educational Programs at the launch of the Long Island STEM Hub on December 6, 2011 stated, “Long Island has many businesses, as well as educational and scientific institutions, that need a technical workforce, but students are not pursuing studies in STEM, and young people are leaving Long Island when good jobs are available here." [2] While the 10 programs of the Empire State STEM Learning Network are working to develop resources for school districts, teachers, local universities, parents, local and businesses to address regional STEM workforce needs, the most important place for additional support and reform is in the P-12 science classrooms throughout New York State. After all, STEM starts with science.

President

Brian Vorwald 10 Media Lane Stony Brook, NY 11790 bvorw@aol.com

President-Elect Dr. Frances Hess 1191 County Highway 10 Laurens, NY 13796 franhess@gmail.com

Vice President Designate Jason Horowitz 231 Dorado Ct N Middle Island NY 11953 JHorowitz@levittownschools.com

Past President

Fred Pidgeon 1620 Sixth Street Rensselaer, NY 12144 caste5@aol.com

Secretary

Michael Hanophy, Ph.D. 47 Grant Avenue Albertson, NY 11507 mjhanophy@verizon.net

Treasurer

Harvey Wiener 202 West End Avenue Massapequa, NY 11758 hw1674@aol.com

Conference '12 Contact Alan Seidman 416 Felton Rd Andes NY 13731 Pbgv416@notmail.com

Newsletter Editor

Alice Veyvoda 17 Tall Tree Lane Smithtown, NY 11787 alveyvoda@optonline.net

Bulletin Editor

Kari Murad, PhD 360 West Street Lebanon Springs, NY 12125 muradk@strose.edu

A chapter of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)

A member of the New York State Council of Education Associations (NYSCEA)

Rochester, NY

Presently, science instruction in New York Sate is based on resource guides and core curricula for the elementary level, intermediate level, and commencement level disciplines (living environment, Earth science, chemistry, and physics). These documents are aligned with the revised 1996 edition of the New York State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology. [3] They have been used for more than a decade, and while they address science in terms of content, scientific inquiry, mathematical analysis, and engineering design, they are in need of revision. The National Research Council, in its Framework for K-12 Science Education, states that there is a weakness in addressing the need for students by the end of 12th grade to, "...have sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on related issues; are careful consumers of scientific and technical information related to their everyday lives; are able to continue to learn about science outside schools; and have the skills to enter careers of their choice, including (but no limited to) careers in science, engineering, and technology." [4] Addressing this weakness should be the focus of curriculum development and/or revision. Based on the Framework, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are now being developed by Achieve, Inc., an independent, bipartisan, non-profit educational organization created in 1996 by the nation's governors and corporate leaders. The NGSS is being developed through a collaborative process involving 26 states, including the New York State Leadership team of which I'm a member. The NGSS focuses on learning science and engineering using an integration of knowledge of scientific content and the practices necessary to engage in scientific inquiry and engineering design. It's anticipated that a second public draft of the NGSS will be released in November 2012 and that they will be released in their final form in 2013. The NGSS can serve as a catalyst for new efforts in New York State to develop science standards and polices and to develop or revise State science curriculum documents. We recommend that the NYSED and the Board of Regents review the NGSS and direct the development or revision of K-12 State science standards and curriculum and assessment documents using the guidelines discussed in each of the following categories.

Curriculum Development/Revision: A major strength of the science program in New York State has been the direct involvement of its teachers of science in standards setting and curriculum development. This has helped to make certain State policies, procedures, and materials in science education are appropriate to the contexts in which they are applied and also appropriate to the developmental needs of children throughout NY State. All future documents should be:

o developed by groups composed primarily of currently practicing teachers and administrators within the K-12 grade span and additional stakeholders in science education, as appropriate. Teachers should be provided with release time to participate in committees and the NYSED should inform district office administrators;

o be aligned to the Common Core ELA math standards as well as to technology and engineering standards; and

o be sufficiently detailed so that districts can use them directly to deliver instruction. If this detail isn't provided a burden will be placed on local districts that may not have the resources necessary to support local curriculum development. This is essential in order avoid another unfunded mandate and to maintain the equity issues that exist between districts and between different regions of the state.

Hands-on Science Instruction: A hands-on science component should be mandated at every

level of science instruction. o Direct hands-on experiences will provide students a context for the major practices

employed by scientists as they investigate and build models about the world around us. o Current regulatory language governing the laboratory requirement as hands-on,

manipulative lab experiences should be maintained. The regulation should have a more specific wording to protect from paper and pencil and wholly virtual computer labs.

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Assessments: Regulatory language that will ensure the provision of the current State

assessments for science in grades 4, 8, and the four commencement level subject areas (Earth Science, Living Environment, Chemistry and Physics) should be preserved. [5] Assessments in grades 6 and 7 should be added.

o Regulatory language that mandates that for students to qualify to take commencement-level science assessments, they must complete at least 1200 minutes of hands-on, manipulative laboratory experiences as evidenced by satisfactory laboratory reports should be preserved. [5]

o Each State assessment should include a performance component based on science practices associated with curriculum.

o The development of future State elementary, intermediate, and commencement-level science assessments should use a test construction model that actively engages classroom teachers in the test development process.

o NYSED and the Regents have stated its commitment to transitioning the State's P-12 education system from paper-and-pencil testing to computer-based testing (CBT). [6] Proposals that would make State science assessments CBT should be carefully reviewed for feasibility and their effects on students, teachers, and schools. We recommend that any future CBT science assessments should retain the item formats of our current assessments: multiple choice, constructed responses, extended constructed response, and a performance component.

Development of new curricula documents or revision of existing documents, assessments, and policies are central to providing all children with a rich and meaningful science education and to develop the science skills necessary to be successful in STEM-based scientific, technical, and professional jobs. However, there are other concerns that must be addressed in order to achieve these goals.

Graduation Requirement in Science: The current graduation requirement in science requires

only three years of science coursework and the successful completion of one science Regents exam. [5] As a result, many students do not attain the commencement standards in chemistry and physics, disciplines that are integral to complete STEM education and are prominent in the disciplinary core ideas of Framework. To address this need we make the following recommendation.

o Review current State graduation requirements in science, explore the prospect of increasing the minimum number of science credits from 3 to 4, and propose regulatory language that reflects and ensures student achievement of the State's commencement-level learning standards in science; life, physical, and Earth sciences.

Time for Science Instruction at the Elementary Level: In order to strength elementary

science education it's recommended that regulatory language be developed that will specify and mandate instructional time that must be devoted to science at the elementary level. This language should be included in all appropriate State science curriculum documents. Integrating the teaching of reading and math through the vehicle of science promotes students engaging in authentic real world experiences and will help address time issues created by the many demands placed upon elementary-level teachers.

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Professional Development for Teachers: In order to help K-12 teachers to understand and implement new or revised curricula extensive professional development opportunities must be provided. These reforms will assist teachers in improving their content knowledge, science practices, and pedagogical strategies. In the past, many science teachers who assisted the NYSED in implementing reforms have been members and leaders of state and regional professional associations and networks of science educators. These groups are prepared to assist the State in implementing science educational reforms according to but not limited to the following guidelines.

o Professional development providers should be educators with experience teaching K-12 students.

o Sustainable professional development models, such as the turnkey model, should be implemented.

o Professional development should be provided that will enrich elementary-level teachers' competence and confidence with science/STEM content and practices.

o Because it's important that administrators be engaged with teachers in professional development, opportunities should be pursued that will facilitate them joining teams of teachers involved in professional development.

Thank you for this opportunity to articulate our vision for the future of science education in New York State. We stand ready to work with the NYSED, other professional organizations, teachers, administrators, and the community at large to assist in developing and implementing the reforms in science education that are anticipated within the next few years. Respectfully submitted, Brian Vorwald STANYS President, 2012-13

References 1. The University of the State of New York - The State Education Department, Physical Setting/Earth Science Core Curriculum 2. Launching the Long Island STEM Hub - Preparing Students for Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, December 6, 2011: http://www.empirestem.org/regions/li.html 3. The University of the State of New York - The State Education Department, Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology, revised March 1996 edition 4. National Research Council, Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards, A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas, National Academies Press, Washington, DC (2012), summary section, p. 1. 5. The Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to General Education and Diploma Requirements – Part 100, http://www.p12.nysed.gov/part100/opener.html, [100.5(a)(5)(i)(d)(3)]. 6. John B. King, Jr. Commissioner, Memo to Superintendents, Principals, and RIC Directors: New York State's Transition to Computer-based Testing, The New York State Education Department, May 12, 2012.

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